Spain began establishing missions among the Indians by men of religion in the 1500s. These Franciscan friars learned the native tongue, began spreading the Word of God, and opened the way for Spanish power in North America.
In the 1598, missionaries joined soldiers and founded the village of San Juan in the Rio Grande Valley (present day New Mexico). These mission villages spread into modern day Texas, Arizona and California.
By 1650 there were missions stretching from southern Florida northward to the Savannah River and westward, ministering to 26,000 Indians.
The mission frontier gave Spain a foothold in southern and southwestern North American before other colonizing powers brought challenges to the Spanish influence.
Next time...France gets curious
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Today in Pioneer History: On August 3, 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sets sail from the Spanish port of Palos, in command of three ships—the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina—on a journey to find a western sea route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia.
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